INTERVIEW – Watson Farley & Williams
1. Kindly tell us something about your work profile/business including yourself.
We are a global full-service law firm, founded in London in 1982, focussing on the energy, infrastructure and transport sectors in particular. I am a dispute resolution lawyer and joined WFW in 2018, since when I have been lucky enough to work in the firm’s London, Athens, Bangkok and Hanoi offices – now I am based in Ho Chi Minh City. I am delighted that WFW is now a member of the Spanish Chamber and am excited to engage with, assist and learn from other members in this community.
2. What made your company decide to develop in the Asian market, especially in Vietnam?
WFW established its Singapore office in 1998 and has grown to have 8 offices in the Asia Pacific region, out of 19 offices globally. The firm is, therefore, very committed to Asia and has found success over the years both in financial capitals such as Singapore and Hong Kong, as well as emerging economies such as Thailand and Vietnam. Having established a large flourishing practice in Bangkok, with an especially strong dispute resolution team, we believe we can be similarly successful in Vietnam at a time when the economy is growing and changing rapidly, and major projects in our key sectors are in abundance.
3. How has your professional career or your company’s career developed since then?
As a dispute resolution lawyer, I learned my trade advising on complex international arbitrations and English Court proceedings related to Southeast Asia, during my 4 years in the firm’s Bangkok office from 2020 to 2024. The possibility arose for me to continue to do work with some of the same clients, as well as new clients, in Vietnam. The chance to do this, while learning and changing through working and living in such a beautiful country, was a great opportunity for me and I took it with both hands.
4. As far as your sector stands today, what services does Watson Farley & Williams offer to their clients?
We offer a full suite of legal services and are particularly strong in our key sectors of energy, infrastructure and transport. Something that differentiates us further from other law firms is that we have a highly integrated team across Asia – I am currently working on matters with our Bangkok, Hanoi, Singapore, Hong Kong and Sydney offices. This degree of integration enables us to offer clients the best expertise within very effective regional teams which work together seamlessly week-in week-out.
5. What do you think are the biggest challenges for this sector in the future?
We are in a period of great uncertainty – Vietnam, as a jurisdiction, is no exception. Generally, lawyers must help to create certainty, whether that is through drafting watertight contracts or advising effectively on parties’ routes to recourse when disputes arise. In this context, lawyers must be highly adaptable, while continuing to show that their expertise, business acumen and interpersonal skills cannot be replaced by AI!
6. What type of promotional and communication campaigns do you work on?
I often speak at workshops and seminars to help provide businesses with insights on legal issues which are applicable to their needs. I particularly enjoy learning about the opportunities and challenges businesses are facing in Vietnam and the region, and offering support where helpful.
7. What is your advice to companies interested in your services?
If companies are interested in seeking commercial legal advice, I would of course encourage contacting me by email, LinkedIn or over the phone. I am very confident that we can provide advice tailored to your needs and, to the extent that the advice required relates to a particular specialism we do not offer, we would be happy to help put you in contact with other legal practitioners that can assist. We are always keen to help, especially other members of the Spanish Chamber.
8. Please tell us a little about the future plans of your company in Vietnam.
What I can say is that our firm has ambitious plans in Vietnam – we are proud of the work we currently do but see significant space to grow in a market where there is no law firm quite like ours. We are looking forward to growing as part of the Spanish Chamber community.